JOHN WESLEY (Los Angeles 1928–2022 New York City) July 7. 1983. Gouache on paper. Signed, dated and titled lower left: John Wesley JULY 7, 1983. 75 × 107.6 cm. Provenance: - Jessica Fredericks Gallery, New York. - Purchased from the above in 1997 by the present owner, since then private collection Switzerland. John Wesley was one of the exponents of American Pop Art, but developed his own independent style. Born in Los Angeles in 1928, Wesley attended Los Angeles City College and the University of California between 1946 and 1950. After numerous casual jobs, in 1960 Wesley decided to devote himself exclusively to painting. In his early paintings he used imaginary stamps and seals, until he switched to a pictorial language inspired by comic strips. Unlike comic strips, however, his colour palette is limited to 3-4 colours, and the flat painting style, despite its figurative nature, is more reminiscent of minimalist compositions and manga comics. He also never used the comics as a real model like Roy Lichtenstein, for example. In his works, Wesley dealt sometimes humorously with everyday life, especially life in the USA. In 1972 John Wesley was one of the participants in documenta 5. In 1989 he was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Grant, and in 1998 and 2004 he received the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award. In 2000, his oeuvre was honoured with a comprehensive retrospective at PS1 Contemporary Art Centre. The three watercolours by John Wesley on offer here are characteristic examples of his oeuvre. They are dominated by the typical flatness and the reduction to 3 colours - blue, black, and white. Three geishas look over their shoulders from the gouache "7th of July". The viewer looks at the half-profile of 3 identical Japanese women, whose black hair becomes a flat band at the upper edge. The black contours of the blue garments lend dynamism to the lower part of the image. The meaning of the title is not resolved. This is easier in the other two watercolours: "Crimes in Iceland" shows an aeroplane, a container ship, a bus, and a truck, and right in the midst of them swims a whale. The threat to its habitat from these human means of transport seems clear. Nevertheless, the artist does not make any judgements or references, but arranges the five motifs neatly on top of one another against a blue background. “Newark” also clearly refers to the New York airport. Through a mullioned window with curtains on the left and right, the viewer looks out at three oversized planes that seem to be about to take off. The planes are ridiculously close and large, so that the criticism of air traffic is presented in a humorous way. JOHN WESLEY (Los Angeles 1928–2022 New York City) July 7. 1983. Gouache auf Papier. Unten links signiert, datiert und betitelt: John Wesley JULY 7, 1983. 75 × 107,6 cm. Provenienz: - Jessica Fredericks Gallery, New York. - Vom heutigen Besitzer 1997 bei obiger Galerie erworben, seitdem Privatsammlung Schweiz. John Wesley geh?rt zu den Vertretern der amerikanischen Pop Art mit einem sehr markanten Stil. 1928 wird er in Los Angeles geboren, besucht zwischen 1946 und 1950 das Los Angeles City College sowie**University of California. Nach zahlreichen Gelegenheitsjobs, entschliesst sich Wesley 1960, sich ausschliesslich der Malerei zu widmen. In seinen frühen Gem?lden verwendet er fiktive Stempel und Siegel, bis er sich dann einer durch Cartoons inspirierten Bildsprache zuwendet. Anders aber als bei Cartoons ist seine Farbpalette auf 3-4 Farben reduziert, und**fl?chige Malweise erinnert, trotz der figürlichen Malerei, eher an Kompositionen des Minimalismus und an Manga-Comics. Er nutzt sie auch nie als wirkliche Vorlage wie z.B. Roy Lichtenstein. Wesley setzt sich in seinen Werken teils humorvoll mit dem Alltagsleben, vor allem in den USA, auseinander. 1972 geh?rt John Wesley zu den Teilnehmern der documenta 5. 1989 wird ihm der National Endowment for the Arts Grant verliehen, 1998 und 2004 bekommt er**Auszeichnung der American Academy of Arts and Letters verliehen. 2000 wird sein Oeuvre mit einer umfassenden Retrospektive im PS1 Contemporary Art Centre geehrt.**drei angebotenen Aquarelle von John Wesley sind charakteristische Beispiele für sein Oeuvre. Dominiert werden diese Werke durch**typische Fl?chigkeit und**Reduzierung auf 3 Farben - blau, schwarz und weiss. Drei Geishas blicken über ihre Schultern aus der Gouache ?7. Juli“. Der Betrachter schaut auf das Halbprofil von 3 identischen, japanischen Frauen, deren schwarze Haare zu einem fl?chigen Balken am oberen Rand werden.**schwarzen Konturen der blauen Kleider verleihen dem unteren Teil der Darstellung Dynamik.**Bedeutung des Titels wird nicht aufgel?st. Dies ist bei den zwei weiteren Aquarellen einfacher: ?Crimes in Iceland“ (Los 3455) zeigt ein Flugzeug, ein Containerschiff, einen Bus sowie einen LKW und mittendrin schwimmt ein Wal.**Bedrohung seines Lebensraums durch diese menschlichen Transportmittel scheint eindeutig. Dennoch nimmt der Künstler keine Wertung vor oder stellt Bezüge her, sondern ordnet**fünf Motive ordentlich vor blauem Hintergrund übereinander an. Auch ?Newark“ (Los 3456) bezieht sich eindeutig auf den New Yorker Flughafen. Durch ein Sprossenfenster mit Vorh?ngen rechts und links schaut der Betrachter hinaus auf drei überdimensionierte Flugzeuge,**gerade zu starten scheinen. L?cherlich nah und gross sind**Flugzeuge, so dass**Kritik am Flugverkehr auf eine humoristische Art dargestellt wird.
Koller will assist in arranging shipping. All costs associated are the responsibility of the buyer.
Contract: Your Bid is a binding and legally enforcable contract.
Payment: Koller accepts only bank transfer for payment. Payment is due upon the close of the auction.
Shipping Terms: Koller will assist in arranging shipping. All costs associated are the responsibility of the buyer.
Buyer's Premium: 2.1 In addition to the bid price, the Purchaser must pay a surcharge of 25 % on such bid price.
2.2 If the winning bid is placed in the course of an internet live online auction ("Online Auction"), the surcharges are subject to the conditions published on the respective Internet sites.
2.3 The Purchaser must pay Swiss value added tax ("VAT") on the surcharge. The stated percentage of the surcharge relates to the successful bid for each individual item.
2.4 The full tax is charged on all items marked * in the auction catalogue, i.e. VAT is charged on the sum of the bid price plus the surcharge for those items. The VAT will be refunded to Purchasers providing a validly stamped export declaration.
2.5 The Purchaser agrees that Koller also receives a commission from the Seller.
Taxes: The Purchaser must pay Swiss value added tax ("VAT") on the surcharge. The stated percentage of the surcharge relates to the successful bid for each individual item.
Condition Reports: 3.1 The items are auctioned in the condition existing at the time of the successful bid.
3.2 The items are described to the best of our knowledge and belief. However, Koller cannot accept any liability for the details provided in the catalogue. The items can be inspected during the preview. The Purchaser is therefore invited to inspect an item prior to the auction and, possibly with the support of an independent specialist advisor, to form its own opinion of the correspondence between the lot and the catalogue description. For the specifications of the items the print edition of the catalogue in the German language (including any later amendments) shall be exclusively applicable. Koller reserves the right to call in experts or specialists of its choice to give an opinion and to rely upon that opinion. Koller cannot be held liable for the correctness of such opinions. Neither any such expert opinions or reports, nor the descriptions of items provided by Koller or other statements pertaining to an item (including statements pertaining to the value thereof) constitute explicit or implicit warranties.
3.3 Subject to Clause 4 below, no guarantee or warranty whatsoever is given in respect of legal and material defects. The liabilities of the Seller vis-à-vis the Purchaser are limited to the same extent as the liabilities of Koller vis-à-vis the Purchaser.
